Crews rescue child stuck inside wall

LINGBI, China (CNN) – It could have ended in a terrible tragedy, but thanks to heroic firefighters in eastern China, a trapped child survives a harrowing ordeal. The six-year-old boy in Anhui Province Monday somehow wormed his way into a narrow space between the walls of two houses.

Chinese news station CCTV reports his grandmother was busy inside the house doing chores. When she noticed the boy was missing, it was too late. He was already stuck.

CCTV reports the space was so tight, the boy couldn’t move his head, chest or arms. Neighbors tried to help free him, but failed. Firefighters rushed to the scene. They used extreme caution and smashed open the wall with electric drills and hammers. CCTV reports it took about a half hour, but they finally managed to free the scared boy.